Police departments across the country consider outfitting officers with body cameras to increase transparency and accountability. How are police body cameras used in Sacramento region?

Police departments across the country consider outfitting officers with body cameras to increase transparency and accountability. How are police body cameras used in Sacramento region?

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Updated: 7:32 AM PST Nov 21, 2014

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WEBVTT STEALING A BOX OF CIGARS BEFORE THE OFFICER SHOT HIM. ANTICIPATION OF VIOLENCE IN FERGUSON HAS PROMPTED THE GOVERNOR TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND ACTIVATE THE NATIONAL GUARD. SOME CRITICS SAY IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY. IT'S CALLED A BODY CAMERA ATTACHED TO A POLICE OFFICER. ADVOCATES SAY IT ADDS TRANSPARENCY AND HELPS PREVENT VIOLENCE. OTHERS HAVE CONCERNED ABOUT COST, PRIVACY, AND TRUST. ROAD TESTS, LOOTING, AND VIOLENCE -- PROTESTS, LOOTING, AND VIOLENCE. THE GOVERNOR IS DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY. ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY AN UNBIASED VIDEO ACCOUNT FROM A BODY CAMERA. IT WOULD BE TRANSPARENT, AND PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND KNOW IF THEY USED EXCESSIVE FORCE, IF THEY FOLLOWED THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AND THE POLICY. THE STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERED THEM BEFORE FERGUSON. I HOSTAGE SITUATION HIGHLIGHTED THEIR USEFULNESS. -- I HOSTAGE SITUATION HIGHLIGHTED THEIR USEFULNESS. IT WOULD -- A HOSTAGE SITUATION HIGHLIGHTED THEIR USEFULNESS. ALL OF THE OFFICERS WILL SOON BE EQUIPPED WITH BODY CAMERAS, PAID FOR BY AN ANONYMOUS DONOR. RED MEANS IT'S ON. YOU WILL HEAR IT THE. OFFICER ANDREWS MET WILL BE TESTING -- ANDREW SMITH WILL BE TESTING THE CAMERA. BY THE CAMERAS CAN BE ATTACHED TO THE SHOULDER OR CHEST OF AN OFFICER. EACH ONE WOULD ADD TO THE EXPENSES. ADVOCATES SAY THEY INCREASE TRANSPARENCY BY CAPTURING EVERY PIVOTAL MOMENT THE OFFICER SEES OR HEARS. THAT PROMPTS A HOST OF QUESTIONS. WENT THE OFFICER -- WHEN SHOULD THE OFFICER TURN THEM ON? SHOULD SOMEONE BE NOTIFIED THEY ARE BEING RECORDED? WHERE WILL THE VIDEO BE STORED? I WOULD RATHER THE OFFICERS ENSURE THEY ARE GETTING VIDEO FOOTAGE THAT CAPTURES THE ENTIRE INCIDENT AND POSSIBLY A THREESECOND THREE SECOND SNIPPET CAUGHT BY SOMEBODY WITH A CELL PHONE. ANOTHER OF -- A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS USE CAMERAS. OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE JUST LOOKING INTO GETTING THEM. SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF, ELK GROVE POLICE, DAVIS POLICE, ROCKLIN POLICE, BUT NOT EVERYONE EMBRACES THE TECHNOLOGY. THE ACLU SENT US A STATEMENT UNDERSCORING THEIR CONCERN, SAYING IN PART, BODY CAMERAS MUST BE DEPLOYED WITHIN A FRAMEWORK OF STRONG POLICY TO ENSURE THEY PROTECT THE PUBLIC WITHOUT BECOMING YET ANOTHER SYSTEM OF ROUTINE SURVEILLANCE OF THE PUBLIC. IN A RECENT FEDERAL SURVEY OF THE 63 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT USE BODY CAMERAS, TILLIE ONE THIRD HAD NO WRITTEN POLICY ON THE DEVICES. WITH THE LACK OF -- NEARLY ONE THIRD HAD NO WRITTEN POLICY ON THE DEVICES. THEY THINK THE TECHNOLOGY MUST BE USED CAREFULLY. THEY SHOULD KNOW THEY ARE BEING RECORDED. LIEUTENANT ANDREW MATHIS SAYS THE TECHNOLOGY HAS CUT DOWN ON CITIZEN COMPLAINTS AND AIDED IN PROSECUTION OF CASES. IT ALLOWS THE COURTS AND OTHERS TO HAVE A FIRST-HAND VIEW OF WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. THEY CAN SEE AND HEAR WHAT THE OFFICER EXPERIENCE. THE OFFICERS ONLY TURN ON THE CAMERA IN VOLATILE SITUATIONS LIKE A PROTEST, DOMESTIC DISPUTE, OR TO INTERVIEW WITNESSES. MOST PEOPLE HAVE A FRIENDLY CONTACT, ALTHOUGH PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT. IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. ADVOCATES SAY THERE ARE DEFINITE CONCERNS. THE CHIEF RECOGNIZES LIMITATIONS AS WELL. IT IS TWO-DIMENSIONAL. IT DOESN'T GIVE THE WHOLE PICTURE. HOWEVER, IT STILL IS AN ADDITIONAL PIECE OF FOOTAGE THAT TELLS THE STORY. HIM OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS CONSIDERING THE TECHNOLOGY -- SOME OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS

How are police body cameras used in Sacramento region?

Police departments across the country consider outfitting officers with body cameras to increase transparency and accountability. How are police body cameras used in Sacramento region?